Meen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Meen

What does the name Meen mean?

The surname Meen originally appeared in Gaelic as "O Miadhachain," which is derived from the word miadhach, meaning honorable. 1

Early Origins of the Meen family

The surname Meen was first found in County Leitrim (Irish: Liatroim) anciently the western half of the kingdom of Breifne, located in Northeastern Ireland, in Leinster province, Originally, "Ó Miadhacháin, this is the name of at least two distinct septs; it is now equally distributed throughout the four provinces." 2

Early History of the Meen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Meen research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Meen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meen Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Meen were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Meighan, Meehan, Meegin, Meeghen, Meegan, Meakin, Meakins, Mekins, Mehan, Mehen, Mehigan, Mehegan, O'Meighan, O'Meehan and many more.

Early Notables of the Meen family

More information is included under the topic Early Meen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Meen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Meen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Meen, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Constance" in 1849 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Meen (post 1700) +

Mr. Stephen Colin Meen R.V.M., British Horticulturist for the Crown Estate in Windsor, was appointed the Royal Victorian Medal Silver on 8th June 2018 4
Hubert Meen Aucoin (b. 1874), Canadian merchant and politician who represented Inverness County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1925 to 1928

Sources +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CONSTANCE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Constance.htm
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists